Homeowner’s Rehab Inc., Project Partners, and Local Leaders Celebrate Groundbreaking at 4 Mellen Street
Congresswoman Katherine Clark spoke passionately about the housing crisis and the great need for these 29 homes in Cambridge.
HRI Executive Director Sara Barcan described the years of upfront work and countless funders and team members that led us to the groundbreaking at 4 Mellen St.
In addition to our Executive Director Sara Barcan, our speakers included (L-R): Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang, Massachusetts Housing Partnership Alma Balonon-Rosen, & Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Deputy Secretary Jennifer Maddox.
The HRI team celebrated this wonderful moment.
Photos Credit: Leise Jones Photography
Cambridge, MA — Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc. (HRI) hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, to celebrate the beginning of construction at 4 Mellen Street, formerly 1627 Massachusetts Avenue. This project will bring 29 new affordable homes to Cambridge’s Baldwin neighborhood. The development will be 100% income-restricted housing, with 12 of the 29 units reserved for households earning at or below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI).
“We are thrilled to start construction on 4 Mellen Street, a project combining historic preservation and affordable housing to create twenty-nine new income-restricted homes for individuals and families,” said Sara Barcan, HRI Executive Director. “4 Mellen Street will provide stable homes in the beautiful Baldwin neighborhood of Cambridge with great access to schools, jobs, public resources, cultural institutions, and a variety of public transportation options.”
HRI was joined by project partners, local leaders, and elected officials, including Democratic Minority Whip Katherine Clark, Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Deputy Secretary Jennifer Maddox, Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang, and 25th Middlesex State Representative Marjorie Decker.
"This is exactly the kind of project we need to invest in to address the Commonwealth’s housing affordability crisis," said Democratic Minority Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5). "I was thrilled to join the celebration today as we prepare to welcome 29 new units to Mellen Street. I will continue fighting every day in Washington to protect our federal housing investments, get more shovels in the ground, and ensure more families can afford to stay and live in Massachusetts.”
Located between Harvard and Porter Squares, the 14,400-square-foot parcel includes the Charles Hicks Saunders House, a historic landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a rear parking lot where new construction will take place.
“At MHIC, we believe strong, healthy communities are built through thoughtful investment in homes, in neighborhoods, and in people,” said Leslie Reid, MHIC’s Chief of Investment Programs. “The 4 Mellen Street development delivers on all three. This is our ninth partnership with Homeowners Rehab, Inc., and we’re proud to help bring 29 new affordable homes to Cambridge, including many designed for families. With its blend of historic preservation and new Passive House construction, this project reflects what’s possible when public, private, and nonprofit partners come together around a shared vision. We’re honored to have made an $8.7 million LIHTC equity investment in this transformative effort.”
HRI purchased the site from Lesley University in August 2022. It will preserve and return the existing building to its residential use while constructing a new attached Passive House building on the rear parking lot. The whole project will include all-electric systems to align with climate goals shared by HRI, the City of Cambridge, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. HRI’s community engagement team will offer services and referrals to the future residents of 4 Mellen.
The 4 Mellen project is funded through generous support from Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust, Cambridge Historical Commission, Cambridge Community Preservation Act, City of Cambridge, Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, Citizens Bank, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, MHIC, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, and NeighborWorks America.
“In Cambridge, we don’t just talk about [the values of] equity and inclusion and sustainability. We build them. We fund them. We make them real,” remarked Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons. “So when the first family gets their keys, when children ride their bikes from the secure parking to the nearby schools, when neighbors gather in the ground-floor community space, remember this moment. Remember that we chose to be the Cambridge that creates opportunities rather than barriers, that preserves what matters while building what’s needed, that believes our city’s greatest strength isn’t our buildings—it’s our people.”
For more information about the 4 Mellen project, please contact info@homeownersrehab.org or visit https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/Housing/1627massave.